Locomotive tire tongs



May 30, 1950 J. P, CURLEY LocoMoTIvE TIRE .ToNGs Filed Aug. 30, 1949 INVENToR: Bip/@M55 f? (ZJ/@LBC Patented May 30, 950

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE,

This invention relates to tongs for handling locomotive tires, particularly for transferring such tires from a heating bed to wheel bodies.

Locomotive tires commonly have a shrink it on their wheel bodies; consequently, before such tires are installed, they must be heated to a temperature at which their thermal expansion enl ables them to be slipped over the body. Transfer of tires from the heating bed to a wheel body is awkward and previous practices with which I am familiar have required several distinct handling operations and `also have been hazardous to workmen.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved tongs which are capable of transferring a locomotive tire from a heating bed to a wheel body in a single operation and which eliminate the hazards of previous practices.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved locomotive tire tongs which are adapted to engage a tire that lies flat in a heating bed and to carry the tire into a upright position and partially slip it over a wheel body.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view which shows improved tongs embodying features of the present invention engaged with a locomotive tire for lifting it from a heating bed;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View which shows the tongs slipping the tire over a wheel body; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken substantially on the line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a stack of locomotive tires T which lie fiat in a heating bed with their flanged edges uppermost. These tires are heated sufliciently that their thermal expansion enables them to be slipped over wheel bodies. Figure 2 shows a wheel body B which is upright and in its normal running position.

The tire tongs of the present invention comprises rlrst and second tong arms III and I2, respectively, which are pivoted together scissors fashion on a pin I3. The main portion of tong arm I has a 90 twist. Endwise of the twist tong arm III has a right angle bend IE. The end segment I6 beyond said bend extends inwardly toward tong arm I2 and is adapted to engage the inner circumference of a tire T. Adjacent said bend the main portion of tong arm I0 carries a bit Il which is relatively sharp and also is dican be welded to `the arm or threadedly secured thereto to enable it to be removed and replaced when worn. The main portion of tong arm I2 has a segment I8 which curves inwardly toward tong arm Ill. Adjacent its extremity tong arm I 2 carries a bit I 9 which is directed inwardly and is similar to bit I? already described. Between said bit and the pivotal connection tong arm I2 1carries a heel 2l] which preferably is welded thereo.

Tong arms ID and I2 have integral lever portions 2I and 22, respectively, lever portion 2I being somewhat longer than lever portion 22. The extremities of these lever portions are apertured and carry chain links 23 and 24, respectively. A cable 25 passes through said links and is carried by a hook 26 of an operating crane.

Before the tongs of the present invention are applied to a tire, the top tire in the stack is displaced sidewise from the other tires (Figure 1). Tong arm IB is then placed under the edge of this top tire, inwhich position bit I'i engages the lower face of the tire, and segment I6 the inner circumferential face. Tong arm I2 is placed over this tire, in which position bit I9 engages the top face of the tire, and heel 2U the edge of the ange. Tong arm IS is substantially horizontal and tong arm I2 inclined at an angle of about 30 from the vertical. Figure l fully illustrates this relation.

The operating crane is raised and thus lifts the top tire from the stack. This tire swings into an upright position and the crane carries it to wheel body Bwhere it is slipped over said body. Seg` ment I6 terminates somewhat short of the thickness of the tire and thus does not interfere with the tires being slipped part way over the wheel body. Figure 2 fully illustrates this relation. Next the tongs are removed from the tire and. the latter is driven into its iinal position as known in the art.

From the foregoing description it is seen that I have provided improved locomotive tire tongs of simple and rugged construction and which greatly facilitate transferring such tires to wheel bodies.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited by the disclosure as set forth, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Tongs for handling locomotive tires comrected inwardly toward tong arm. I2. The bit 5B Drising tong arms pivotally connected together,

one of said tong arms having a segment bent to engage the inner circumferential face of a tire and a bit to engage an adjacent side face, the other of said tong arms having a bit to engage the opposite side face and a heel to engage the tire ange, and means for suspending said tong arms from an operating crane.

2. Tongs for handling locomotive tires comprising a pair of tong arms pivotally connected together scissors fashion, one of said tong arms having a seg-ment bent at right angles to engage the inner circumferential face of a tire and a bit to engage an adjacent side face, the other of said tong arms having a bit to engage the opposite side face and a heel to engage the tire ange, said tong arms having lever portions extending from their pivotal connection, and means on said lever portions for suspending the tongs from an operating crane.

3. Tongs for handling locomotive tires comprising first and second tong arms pivotally connected together, said iirst tong arm having a segment at its extremity bent at a right angle to the main portion of the arm and extending inwardly toward said second tong arm and adapted to engage the inner circumference of a locomotive tire, a bit fixed to said irst tong arm adjacent said segment and extending inwardly toward said second tong arm and adapted to engage a face of a locomotive tire, said second tong arm having a region curving toward said first tong arm, a bit xed to said second tong arm adjacent its extremity and extending inwardly toward said rst tong arm and adapted to engage the face of the tire opposite said nrst named bit, a heel iixed to said second tong arm between said second named bit and the pivotal connection and extending inwardly toward said first tong arm and adapted to engage the ange of a tire, said tong arms having lever portions beyond their pivotal connection, and means on said lever portions for connecting the tongs to an operating crane.

4. Tongs for handling locomotive tires comprising first and second tong arms pivotally connected together, said nrst tong arm having a substantially 90 twist and an end segment bent at a right angle to the main portion and extending inwardly toward said second tong arm and adapted to engage the inner circumference of a locomotive tire, a relatively sharp bit xed to said rst tong arm adjacent said segment and extending inwardly toward said second tong arm and adapted to engage a face of a locomotive tire, said second tong arm having a region curving toward said first tong arm, a, relatively sharp ybit xed to said second tong arm adjacent its extremity and extending inwardly toward said first tong arm and adapted to engage the face 0f the tire opposite said first named bit, a, heel xed to said second tong arm between said second named bit and the pivotal connection and extending inwardly toward said rst tong arm and adapted to engage the flange of a tire, said tong arms having integral lever portions beyond their pivotal connection, and links attached to the extremities of said lever portions for connecting the tongs to an operating crane.

5. Tongs for handling locomotive tires and transferring them from a flat position with their flanges uppermost in a heating bed to an upright position on a wheel body, comprising iirst and second tong arms pivotally connected together, said first tong arm having a substantially 90 twist and an end segment bent at a right angle to the main portion and extending inwardly toward said second tong arm and adapted to engage the inner circumference of a locomotive tire from underneath as the tire lies in a heating bed, a relatively sharp bit fixed to said first tong arm adjacent said segment and extending inwardly toward said second tong arm and adapted to engage the underface of the tire, said second tong arm having a region curving toward said first tong arm, a relatively sharp bit fixed to said second tong arm adjacent its extremity and extending inwardly toward said first tong arm and adapted to engage the upper face of the tire, a heel fixed to said second tong arm between said second named bit and the pivotal connection and extending inwardly toward said rst tong arm and adapted to engage the nange of the tire, said tong arms having integral lever portions beyond their pivotal connection, and links attached to the extremities of said lever portions for connecting the tongs to an operating crane.

JAMES P. CURLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in `the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 466,912 Schofield Jan. l2, 1892 1,017,956 Carter Feb. 20, 1912 

